


Wingless

by Kiyuo_Honoo



Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Gen, Mutilation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-12 20:49:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21482638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiyuo_Honoo/pseuds/Kiyuo_Honoo
Summary: Megatron uses Thundercracker as an example when Starscream once again foiled the Decepticons plans.
Relationships: Skywarp & Starscream & Thundercracker
Comments: 4
Kudos: 62





	Wingless

**Author's Note:**

> The idea of Thundercracker becoming Starscream's whipping boy wouldn't leave my head so have this.

“You’re an idiot _ Lord _Megatron! We would have lost more than what we did if I didn’t act when I did!” Starscream screeched, glaring and baring his canines at his leader. The larger mech was glaring just as hard as he snarled at his Second in Command.

“And _ you _ shouldn’t have pulled such a stunt Starscream! We would have beat the Autobots if you didn’t pull that act!” Their fields lashed out at each other, but Megatron was done with the bullslag of his SIC. And if beating him into submission didn’t work, well he had another he could use as his whipping boy instead.

The warlord’s optics flashed and zeroed in on the blue seeker behind Starscream. He straightened, a smile promising pain spreading across his face, shoving Starscream out of his way as he strode over to the blue seeker. The mech cautiously eyed him, backing up as he stepped closer.

He didn’t let Thundercracker get very far before he latched out and snagged a shoulder vent, practically crushing it in his grip before dragging the seeker over to where Starscream still stood.

He could hear the rumble of Skywarp's engine reach dangerous levels, and knew he had to keep him back or he'd get slagged too, if not make it worse for their youngest. Starscream was so busy glaring at the gleeful expression on Megatron's face that the sound of rending metal was a jolt, his optics shooting down at the painfilled sound to see the fragging slagger _ tearing _Thundercracker's wing off.

He heard a dull this of Skywarp being slammed into the ground, but his audials were filled with static as he watched in horror. Thundercracker was clawing at the ground, trying to reach out to them but they couldn't do anything but watch as Megatron gripped the base of his other wing and _ yanked _on it, spewing energon out and not even fully disconnecting it from his back.

Starscream clenched his teeth as his frame shook, staring at the wires and cables dripping energon and Megatron's gave another forceful yank and fully ripped the metal from it's connection. But the cables and wires still connected it. And that was probably the worst thing.

Megatron flicked the energon from his hand and stared Starscream down, "Let this be a lesson _ Starscream _, try another stunt like that and he'll be punished again. Now clean this mess up." The warlord walked away, leaving Starscream and Skywarp to summer in their anger at what he did.

The few Decepticons still around were quick to scurry away as their fields lashed out in anger, grating against the others fields before they disappeared.

Starscream was quick to strode over to Thundercracker, dropping to his knees he carefully grabbed the sobbing mech and pulled him against his chassis. Skywarp was quick to scurry over, letting out hissing that sounded like Old Vosnian. He was careful when he grabbed Thundercracker's mutilated wings, handing them for Starscream to hold as he gripped them both and teleported.

  
  
  


The _ fwoop _ of them appearing echoed in the desert, Skywarp pulled away from them and stood sentry position with wings flared and optics roving across the landscape. Starscream stayed knelt on the ground, holding Thundercracker close as the younger seeker continued to make distressed and pained vocalizations, the sounds staticky as his vocalizer tried to work with the excessive pitch his voice had hit. Starscream’s hand was careful as he cupped it around the mutilated base where his trine mate’s wing once was.

Growling lowly as he bent over and took in the damage, Starscream’s servo’s twitched, he would not dig his claws in his hurt trine mate. But they had to get the wings fixed before they were permanently damaged.

“Starscream. I transported us close to the Autobots base, we can drag them out and get their medic’s help. He’ll do it and you know he’s good.” Skywarp’s voice was steady but hard. Starscream looked over and watched as the purple and black seekers wings twitched and flicked in an aggressive show, warning off invisible threats.

He hated that Skywarp was right, now that he took in their location he could spot the ARK in the distance. He invented deeply before slowly exventing.

“Get their attention. And do it quickly, you know what will happen if we don’t get him taken care of soon.” He turned away from Skywarp after seeing the sharp nod before he teleported away.

_ Be quick Skywarp. I can’t fix him. _

  
  
  


Ironhide grumbled as he glared up at the seeker flying erratically around the ARK, the slagger hasn’t tried to attack besides a few false shots at the surrounding earth. If the old soldier didn’t know better, it almost seemed as if he was trying to get their attention. Especially since he knew that was Skywarp and the seeker could just teleport past him if he wanted.

“What the frag is that mech doing?” Ratchet’s answer was a grunt and Ironhide glancing over before returning to staring at the jet.

“Pit if I know. Hasn’t actually tried to attack. But I’m sure the fragger wants something.”

Ratchet stepped further out, narrowing his optics at the jet only to jump back as the jet suddenly teleported in front of him. A hand grabbed his shoulder and he could hear Ironhide yell behind him as he looked up at the purple and black seeker.

“Need your help. Urgent. Now. _ Please. _” Skywarp’s frame shook, plating rattling as the disastrous things that could happen to his younger trine mate had kept passing through his processor. Thundercracker’s survival depended on this medic.

“What do you need? Take me there now or bring the mech here. I can warn Prime you’re coming.” Ratchet was quick to grab Skywarp’s arm and squeeze, trying to get the mech to calm down and _ listen _. He slowly released his grip as he watched the seeker nod.

“I’ll bring them, he’s hurt and needs help before it’s too late.” Skywarp pulled back and warped away leaving Ratchet standing and staring at the spot the jet was just standing. Ratchet didn’t know what was wrong but the _ concern, fear, helpless _ teeking in the seekers field was concerning.

“Ironhide! Contact Optimus and Prowl and let them know we’ll be having some injured Decepticon guests and I don’t want anybot to throw slag when they get here and brought to my medbay got it?!” the medic snapped, turning to glare at the still grumbling van.

Ironhide grunted before doing as Ratchet demanded, the medic himself contacting First Aid and telling him to prepare the medbay for serious injuries. He didn’t know how slagged the Decepticon Skywarp was worried about was but if his field was anything to go by, it was bad and could only end in death if not dealt with quickly.

Optimus and Prowl had just arrived at the doors and talking with Ironhide when the sound of Skywarp’s teleportation sounded by Ratchet. The medic stood his ground this time and spun on a heelstrut. He jerked back at the sight that greeted him.

Starscream knelt on the ground with a snarl aimed at them, energon covered his hands and most of his arms, and the mech he was holding — Ratchet was quick to start barking orders as he made the few steps over to the downed mech, ignoring the sudden growling coming from both seekers as he gently ran his hands along Thundercracker’s back to take in the damage. He let out a hissing vent as he saw the multiple wires and connectors torn and shredded.

One wing was barely still connected and Ratchet knew he had to cut the connections, he couldn’t transfer him and chance the wing ripping off or being moved in a way that would just cause more pain. He looked at Starscream, meeting the glaring red optics before he let a cutter slide out of his servos.

“I have to cut the connections of this wing. I’ll dampen the sensors around first but I can’t chance it being moved to the point it rips off or causes unnecessary pain. Once that’s done we need to get him to my medbay and I’ll fix it. Trust me on this Starscream.” Ratchet didn’t turn his optics away even as he was still growled at. A black servo on the tricolored seekers shoulder had him calming enough to nod in resignation. With their permission, Ratchet quickly pulled out a numbing agent and injecting around Thundercracker’s wing. 

Once he was sure it had enough time to numb the sensors, Ratchet quickly went to work disconnecting the sparking and leaking wires. It took only kliks to disconnect the wing, and with that done, Ratchet started barking orders again. Ordering for Starscream to stand with his fellow seeker and to follow him. The medic grabbed the two wings and handed them off Prowl and ordered him to rush those to the medbay. Prowl did so as Ratchet impatiently waited for the two seekers to stop snapping at each other and follow him with their injured third.

It ended with Skywarp saying something in a harsh, guttural language before sweeping the injured blue seeker into his arms and walking with long, fast strides after the smaller medic. It didn’t take them long to reach the medbay, Prowl’s sirens most likely clearing the halls. And the mechs they did pass were quick to bolt at the glares and revving engines of the two seekers.

Once inside Ratchet motioned to a berth that First Aid stood by, “Put him on his front and stand away. I don’t need you slaggers in the way.” He found Prowl standing behind another table, the wings laid out for him. Ratchet went over and started taking in the damage of the wires and cables to see if any of it was salvageable. Thankfully it looked like it was, though some would have to be cut and spliced with new ends.

He told First Aid to get started and cut the ends of the too damaged wires and cables while he looked at Thundercracker’s back. Grabbing a mesh cloth and a wide tipped syringe to start cleaning up the energon still covering the seekers back and around the injury. The medic made sure to inject another set of numbing nanites around the other wing base before getting to work.

Even as focused as he was as he worked on cleaning and assessing the damage, the pained and distressed vocalizations pouring out of Thundercracker’s intake were difficult to listen to. Especially since he noticed how Starscream and Skywarp had to keep holding each other out of the way instead of comforting their third. When Prowl came around, Ratchet accepted his help. Ignoring the occasional rubbing against stressed neck cables.

It didn’t take long with Prowl’s help to get the areas clean and the damaged accessed. He had to cut and splice many of the connectors on Thundercracker’s wing bases. The work to connect the wires, cables, and sensors together once First Aid brought over the wings was tedious work. Prowl was helpful in connecting the sensors for him as Ratchet knew he had experience being not only a Praxian but having doorwings himself. 

The surgery took many megacycles to complete, at one point Thundercracker must have passed out even as he continued to whimper.

Finishing the last soldering to connect wing and base, Ratchet pulled back with a deep exvent. Taking in the finished repairs. The blue paint was stripped along the soldered and previously damaged area, but everything was connected correctly and nothing had to be completely replaced or worse, unattachable.

Ratchet looked over to where the other two seekers had taken residence to find them sitting on the floor and slumped together. The low glow of Skywarp’s optics let him know that he was still awake but Starscream appeared to be completely unconscious. Not surprising with the amount of time the surgery took.

Once the three mechs finished cleaning up Thundercracker and the mess from surgery, Ratchet shooed First Aid off to refuel and recharge and shooed Prowl out as well even though the mech appeared to be debating on staying or going but in the end, listened to the medic and left. Ratchet nodded at Jazz when he saw the mech was waiting by the doors, the saboteur smiling and leading Prowl away.  
  


Ratchet had just finished putting everything away when he heard a light knock on the door before it creaked open and Optimus popped his head in. The medic just raised an optic ridge and made a shushing motion as the large mech stepped through the doors. Optimus' optics landed on Thundercracker first, taking in the welds against the base of his wings.

He looked away with a quiet exvent, catching sight of the other two seekers still on the floor.

Walking over to them, he wasn’t surprised when the one he recalled to be Skywarp looked up with a sneer pulling at his face. Optimus stopped feet away, gazing down at them even as he was glared and sneered at by the black and purple seeker.

“I don’t mean you harm Skywarp.” The truck knelt down to be more eye level with the two, “I thank Primus that you two are alright and that Ratchet has done his best to fix your partner.”

Skywarp just eyed the Autobot leader and snorted in disgust, turning away to gaze at the berth Thundercracker lay on. The flicker of red optics onlining had Optimus turn his attention to Starscream as the tricolored seeker stared at him.

“Do what you want to us, but don’t hurt him. Thundercracker doesn’t deserve to be hurt anymore than what’s already been done.” Starscream rasped, sounding as if he had been screaming his vocalizer hoarse.

Optimus shook his helm, “Harm will not come to any of you. All three of you are granted sanctuary for the time being.” He rumbled, keeping his voice low in the face of Ratchet’s possible wrath for disturbing his current patient.

Starscream shook his helm and sat up, ignoring the glare shot at him by Skywarp as the bigger seeker wrapped his arm around Starscream’s waist and pulled him close again.

“That’s not how seekers work Prime.”

The sudden hard look that filled Starscream’s optics had Optimus leaning back on his heel, cautious of what the jet would say and do next. The words that rasped out of his intake took both him and Ratchet by surprise.

"You helped us. Now let us return the favor."


End file.
